


Quilted

by Liadt



Category: Sapphire and Steel
Genre: Gen, folk magic, mini-case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 10:25:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5582125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liadt/pseuds/Liadt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annie has been having bad dreams, could it have something to do with her patchwork quilt?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quilted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kaffyr (kaffyrutsky)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaffyrutsky/gifts).



> Written for kaffyr for Fandom Stocking 2015.

“I had a terrible nightmare again,” said Annie to her daughter, Therese. Annie, a woman in her eighties, was sat up in bed. Therese was sat on a nursing chair with a blanket covering her knees. 

Therese yawned and wiped the sleep from her eyes. “Really? I am surprised. Having spent the night watching over you, I’m of the opinion it’s your snoring that is disturbing you. Other than that, I would say you slept like a log. I, however, despite feeling as stiff as a plank of wood, didn’t.” Therese stood up and stretched.

****

Sapphire and Steel materialised in the front garden of a thatched cottage. The mossy thatch needed replacing and there were obvious repairs to the windows and the brickwork that kept the building from looking like a chocolate box cover. They walked up to the front door, with Steel in the lead. He put his palm over the door handle and kept it there until he heard the lock draw back. He pushed the handle down and they walked into the front room.

Sapphire walked around the room picking up objects and telepathically relaying to Steel how old the items were. She was tempted to make up extra details in response to Steel’s mental disapproval of humans who kept items of varying age together. She didn’t because operators needed their information to be accurate when dealing with a time break. Sapphire had to agree with Steel, there would be fewer breaks if humans weren’t such hoarders.

“The trigger isn’t in this room,” said Sapphire.

“Is it in this building?” asked Steel.

“I believe so.” Sapphire moved to the kitchen door and pushed it open. At the same time, Annie and Therese came into the kitchen through the back door. 

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” asked Therese, regarding the pair with suspicion.

“Have you come from Insulation Savers to look at the loft?” said Annie. 

“We have,” said Sapphire and smiled at them. “I’m Sapphire and this is my partner, Steel.”

“You youngsters have such funny names these days,” said Annie.

“Have you any identification?” said Therese.

“Don’t be so rude, Therese, if they were dodgy they wouldn’t be well dressed.”

Therese narrowed her eyes. “It’s the smart suited ones you have to watch.” 

“Sapphire, show them our-” said Steel.

“Identification? Certainly, here it is.” Sapphire quickly flashed a card, out of the pocket of her skirt that dispelled Therese’s doubts.

“I’ll take you up to the loft,” said Annie.

“Careful, Mother! You’ll do yourself an injury,” called Therese, as Annie went up the stairs.

****

Sapphire and Steel went into Annie’s bedroom, as the two women sorted out the ladder to the loft. 

_“Can you feel that, Steel?”_ said Sapphire, telepathically.

_“No, show me“_

Sapphire spread her hands over the patchwork quilt that covered Annie’s bed. _“These panels are from different eras and they have been stitched to form one whole piece.”_

Steel didn’t reply, but Sapphire felt his anger. It was foolish enough to keep assorted items together, but to join them…

“The ladder’s down,” said Therese, from the doorway. “I see you’re admiring the quilt.”

Steel turned to face her. “Tell me why it comes to be here.”

Therese ignored Steel’s abruptness, if she hadn’t found him handsome she may have been less forgiving. “I had it made especially for my Mother.”

“Made?” said Steel, incredulously.

“The majority of it is made from Mum’s old bedspread. It was getting tatty around the edges and I commissioned a seamstress to make up a new coverlet from interesting old textiles from an antiques shop. Up-cycling is all the rage, it’s very fashionable.”

“Are you coming to look at my loft? I want it lined with free insulation. I‘m a pensioner; I’m entitled to it,” said Annie, from the landing. She too could be abrupt.

“They’re admiring your patchwork quilt,” said Therese, over her shoulder.

“They wouldn’t if they knew that it’s been giving me nightmares.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Are they distressing?” enquired Sapphire.

“They’re awful,” replied Annie.

Therese rolled her eyes.

“The dreams remind me of all the bad things I’ve done and the people I’ve lost. I feel as if I’m being haunted for my sins.”

“If there were any ghosts I would have seen them. It’s eating too much cheese before bedtime that’s doing it. A blanket can’t give you bad dreams,” said Therese, scornfully. “Show the nice people your loft or it’ll never get insulated.”

Sapphire and Steel climbed up into the loft. A break could just as easily be in the rafters as the main living area.

In the bedroom, Therese sat down on the bed. “I don’t know what you were doing boring them with you nightmare mumbo-” Therese didn’t finish her sentence. A flash of bright light enveloped her. Then the light sucked her into a patch on the quilt. 

“Therese, where have you gone?” screamed Annie, in terror.

“Annie, darling, is that you?” said a man’s voice, from behind Annie.

Annie turned and saw a young man in his early twenties, wearing an old-fashioned suit.

“Charlie! But you’re dead!”

“I’ve come to find you, Annie.”

“Am I dead? Is that why my daughter has disappeared? Am I passing over? I don’t want to be dead. I want my loft insulation,” wailed Annie.

Charlie looked sad. “I thought you loved me.”

“I did, a very long time ago.”

“And you still do,” said Charlie, softly.

“I married you know.”

“You never loved him as much as me.”

“Don’t say that.”

“It’s true though, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you rather spend eternity with me, instead of Bill?”

“I-”

“I know you love me; why else would you steal the locket with my picture from my fiancée?”

“I didn’t! I found it on the footpath next to Rushley Field and my family needed the money. Father had died and Mum was sick.”

“Yet you kept the locket. Can you get it for me?”

“If I get it will it bring my Therese back?”

“I can do whatever you wish.” Charlie smiled reassuringly. 

Annie went out on to the landing, and pulled up on floorboard. She fumbled around in the gap and drew out a handkerchief. She unfolded the scarp of material to reveal a silver locket threaded on a chain.

“You shouldn’t do that,” said Steel.

Annie jumped up in surprise and span round to face Steel.

“Give me the locket,” said Steel.

“No, I’m giving it to Charlie. I know what I have to do now. These nightmares of my past are telling me to do the right thing and give Charlie his locket back.”

“We can’t let you do that,” said Steel as Sapphire joined him on the tiny landing.

“Charlie isn’t Charlie, it’s Time using your memories to dupe you,” said Sapphire.

“Even if it isn’t him, I’ve got to give it to him to get my daughter back.”

“It can’t do that; it’s lying to you,” said Steel.

“Give us the locket. We have the expertise to help,” said Sapphire.

“Give it to me. Don’t trust these strangers,” ordered Charlie.

“First these strangers and then you come back as a ghost. I don’t know who to trust,” said Annie to Charlie, gripping the locket tightly in her hand.

“Annie, if I’d known how you felt when I was alive, I would have left Jill for you. Then I wouldn’t have gone away with her and drowned showing off at the seaside. You and me, girl, it’s how it should have been and can be, if you’ll have me,” said Charlie, gently. He stretched out his arm, and opened his palm.

Annie reached out her hand to his. “Oh, Charlie,” she said, overcome. Embarrassed, she dropped her eyes from his face to his wrist. “Look, a thread has come loose on your shirt sleeve. I can’t have you looking shabby; you were ever such a smart boy.” Annie tugged at the cotton sharply. Instead of breaking, the thread began to unravel. First, the edge of his sleeve unravelled, followed by the thumb and fingers of his right hand. 

Annie’s eyes widened in horror. “You’re not Charlie or even human, you’re made of thread. You’ve swapped yourself for my daughter in the quilt. Get back, you’re not getting anything from me.” Annie pulled her hand away from him and the chain and locket flew out of her hand. Sapphire caught them, as they flew across the space.

“Too late,” said Charlie his voice becoming unnaturally deep and buzzing like a cloud of angry hornets. His sharp changed from a man to a dark shadow that stretched out along the wall. One end of the shadow snaked around Annie’s arm. “You’re mine.”

Annie screamed.

“Is his picture still in the locket?” asked Steel.

Sapphire flipped it open. “Yes.”

“Use the chain,” said Steel.

“Where would we be without silver?” said Sapphire dryly. She snapped the locket shut and wrapped the necklace tightly around the locket.

The centre of the shade narrowed as if the chain had been tied around it. Its movement constricted, it let go of Annie. Obscenities came screaming out from within it, as it writhed impotently. 

“Get the quilt,” said Sapphire through gritted teeth as she held on to the locket. Holding Time was something that required Steel’s strength. 

“No, give it to me,” said Steel.

Sapphire grinned grimly. “You sound like a broken record, Steel, be careful that you don’t create another time break.” 

Steel put his hands over Sapphire’s and she transferred the locket to him. Leaving Steel, she went and took the quilt off the bed. “I need some scissors.”

“I have a pair. Is it to cut the quilt up?” said Annie.

“Yes.”

“You’ll cut up my daughter as well. I saw her sucked into it.”

“If you can remember which patch she went into we may be able to save her,” said Sapphire.

This satisfied Annie and she went to fetch the scissors, grateful for an excuse to get away from the hissing shade.

When Annie came back with the scissors, Sapphire used them to cut up the quilt until it became a pile of patches. She picked them up and descended the stairs.

“Where are you going?” asked Annie.

“To burn the patches.”

“What about the one with my Therese in?”

“I’ll save that one from the flames,” said Sapphire, over her shoulder.

Annie hurried after her.

In the lounge, Annie helped Sapphire burn each square of material separately in the fire. With each burning, the darkness on the landing shrank until there was only a small patch left. 

“Hurry up. The time break won’t be sealed until it’s all gone,” shouted Steel, impatiently, from upstairs.

“Well?” Sapphire held up the two remaining patches.

Annie shook her head. The two squares both depicted a milkmaid. “Therese isn’t keen on animals.”

“I’ll burn the one with the cow in then.” Sapphire kept the patch with a maid with a milk churn and burnt the other.

“It’s gone,” called Steel, as he walked down the stairs to join them.

“Is Therese still in there?” asked Annie, fingering the patch Sapphire had dropped onto the hearth.

Steel shrugged in response. “It’s time we were going.” As he joined Sapphire by the fireside, they vanished.

****

“Mother!” came a shout from upstairs.

Annie ran from the lounge to the stairwell. “Therese, you’re back!” she exclaimed joyfully.

“Back? I’ve never left. I’ve been here all day and last night. Where’s the coverlet? It’s too cold for you to be sleeping without it,” said Therese, from the top of the stairs.

“The lady took it. The one in blue.”

Therese descended the stairs. “I knew those two weren’t from insulation savers. They’ll have sold that quilt for three times what they’ve paid you. How much did they pay for it?”

“Pay?”

Therese shook her head at her Mother’s increasing dottiness. “Come on we’ll get a new duvet from Barlow’s and don’t complain about them being new fangled.”

“It’s all right; I don’t want a quilt any more.”

“I gathered that.”

Annie didn’t explain - it wasn’t as if she could.


End file.
